Aeroplane.



W. E. LEE.

AEROPLANB.

APPLICATION FILED 11:11.10, 1913.

1,121,262. Patented Dec.15,1914

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INVENTOR W. E. LEE.

AEROPLANB.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.10,1913.

13%,262. Patented Dec.15,1914.

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5E0 TPNENTOR VIILLIAM E; LEE, OF LONG- PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA.

AEROILANE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15,1914.

Application filed February 10, 1913. Serial No. 747,312.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IVILLIAM E. LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Prairie, in the county of Todd and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes, its object being particularly to provide means for maintaining equilibrium of the machine in flight. and for righting the machine when the same is thrown out of balance.

To this end the invention'consists in the features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a biplane fitted with my features of invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views, broken away, of stabilizing Wings 0r planes; Fig. 4 is a detail view, broken away, of one of the stabilizing wings and a cooperating locking device; Fig. 5 is a top view of a biplane fitted with my features of invention; and Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of a locking device holding the stabilizing wings in extended position.

In the drawings is shown an ordinary construction of biplane, A representing the framework, 2 the overhead sustaining plane, and 3 the lower sustaining plane. The biplane is shown equipped with the usual lever mechanism 4 for the tilting of the sustaining planes and an engine 5 for actuating the propeller 6.

7 and 8 indicate the usual cooperating rudder and altitude planes.

In carrying out my invention, I provide stabilizing planes or wings B. In the arrangement shown I use a pair of these wings carried by shafts 9. The shafts have journal support 10 upon the top of the upper plane, said shafts extending longitudinally of the machine and alongside each other. The wings are adapted to be turned to lie flat upon the top of the plane 2 against the tension of the controlling springs 11, and are held in flat position, as by dogs 12 having fulcrum support 13 upon the top of the plane 2, cords 1% extending downwardly from the lower ends of the dogs to a point adjacent the aviators seat 15, as shown. An opening 16 is formed in each wing so that the cooperating dog may. be turned over.

the edge of the wing, forming the opening, as shown in Fig. 1. A pull upon the cord of either dog will disengage that dog from the corresponding wing and allow said wing to be turned into upright position by lts spring 11, asillustratedin dotted lines in Fig. 1;

In order to positively hold either wing in upwardly extending position, I provide the brackets 17 extending from the top sustaining plane 2 upwardly between the shafts of the wings B. Each bracket carries a cross bar 18 at its upper end with depressible dogs 19 in the cross bar upon opposite sides of the bracket, the dogs being carried by a spring strip 20 having central support 21.. Thus, when either wing is released, its spring 11 will carry it to raised position past thecorrespondingdog 19, the dog be ing depressed by the wing as the same passes inward past the same, and then being forced outward by the supporting spring strip 20 to hold the wing locked between the dog and bracket. The opening 16 in the wing will allow the end of the cross bar 18 to pass through the wing when the same is carried to raised position, the edge 22 passing into position between the bracket and dog.

By means of my improved stability wings I am enabled, when the aeroplane begins to skid to one side or to tip, to release the wing upon that side, allowing the same to be carried by its spring to raised position to right the aeroplane.

While I have shown my features applied to the top sustaining plane of a biplane, I can equally well apply the same to a monoplane and may also apply them to the lower sustaining plane of the biplane.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with the sustaining plane of an aeroplane, a stabilizing wing supported upon a shaft extending longitudi nally, and substantially in the center, of the machine, journal supports for said shaft upon the sustaining plane, means for locking said wing flat against the outer face of said plane, means for releasing said locking means from the aviators seat, and spring.

means for carrying said wing into position extending outwardly substantially at 'righ angles with the face of the Plane.

2. .In an aeroplane including a sustaining plane and aviators seat, a stabilizing wing hinged upon said sustaining plane and exhaving journal support upon said plane and extending longitudinally of the machine, a locking device for holding said Wing in fiat- Wise position against said plane, means actuatable from the aviators seatfor releas- Gonies oi this patentmaybe. obtained for, five cents each, by addressing; the i'G'OmIXIi-SSi-QB GI! ofratenms;

ing said locking means; spring means for 5 carrying said Wing to extended position at right angles With the plane when said looking means are re1eased, and means actuatable as said Wing passes to extended position to cooperatevvith and lock the same in such 20 position. 1 I

In testimony whereof I afiiX-my signature Washington, D. G. 

